Each weekday during the Chautauqua season (June 24–Aug. 25, 2012) at 10:45 a.m., the Amphitheater stage becomes a platform for distinguished scientists, authors, educators and other experts in such fields as national and international affairs, arts and humanities, business and the environment. Ideas and opinions are exchanged in an open, challenging atmosphere, and Chautauqua's knowledgeable audiences have the opportunity to participate in question-and-answer sessions at the conclusion of the lectures.

2012 Lecture Themes

Updated Sept. 9, 2011

Week One — June 24–30

Roger Rosenblatt and Friends on the Literary Arts

In what has become one of Chautauqua’s favorite recurring weeks, the literary arts take center stage at the Amphitheater for a week of conversations between distinguished author Roger Rosenblatt and five of his friends. Interviews will showcase accomplished writers discussing the process of writing, with all the gravitas, banter and storytelling we’ve come to expect.

Week Two — July 1–7

The Lehrer Report: What Informed Voters Need to Know

Retired “PBS NewsHour” anchor Jim Lehrer, moderator of presidential debates for more than two decades, will lead this week in which policymakers, analysts, and government leaders will discuss the issues Americans will be considering as we elect a president, our entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate. In a week of Fourth of July celebration, we ask what is the national climate on health care, jobs, taxation and our nation’s financial stability? We will hear from a variety of perspectives in a mix of lecture and conversation, facilitated by one of the most respected newsmen of our time.

Week Three — July 8–14

Inspire. Commit. Act.

Each summer, Chautauqua becomes a forum for big ideas and conversation, inspiring audience members to commit those ideas to action when they return to their home communities. This week will examine that process on a larger scale. What stimulates people, and moves them from ideas to action? What defines accomplishment? We’ll hear from scholars who study motivation and inspiration to those who invest to enable ideas, and from people who have made amazing things happen. How do they do it? How can we?

Week Four — July 15–21

Water Matters

In partnership with National Geographic Society

Water is one of the world’s most precious and endangered natural resources, and, as such, is becoming a catalyst for domestic and international conflict — many experts believe future wars will be fought over water alone. How does the world’s population survive and thrive as the demand for water increases? As rivers are dammed, groundwater is pumped and populations struggle with drought, floods and the effects of climate change, how is access to water determined? How do nations and societies work together to ensure clean water? Speakers this week will discuss the increasingly critical role water plays worldwide in relation to energy, agriculture, business, the economy and national security issues.

Week Five — July 22–28

Pakistan: Straddling the Boundary Between Asia and the Middle East

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, with the world’s second-largest Muslim population, occupies a strategic geopolitical position between, and very much part of, Asia and the Middle East. Relatively young but a nuclear power, Pakistan’s short history is defined by political instability and tumultuous relationships with neighboring Afghanistan and, especially, India. This week, expert lecturers will discuss Pakistan’s short history, its development into a semi-industrial nation and explain the constant struggle of defining itself as a nation created for Muslims that isn’t a religious state.

Week Six — July 29–Aug. 4

Digital Identity

The digital age promises us unlimited access to information, a freer exchange of ideas and constant connection to anyone from anywhere. How can we balance technology’s positive and negative effects on our lives? Has the Internet truly created a more informed and engaged citizenry? What does it mean for those without access and those on the other side of the digital generation gap? During this week we’ll examine the psychological, physiological and cultural consequences of living digitally and how our online presence shapes our concept of self, our demands for privacy and the way we relate to one another.

Week Seven — Aug. 5–11

The Ethics of Cheating

Who regulates behavior? To whose ethical standards should society be held? Lectures this week will examine cheating as an ethical wrong, but also challenge the assumption that cheating is always wrong. What are the motivations for cheating — psychological, evolutionary — and do we see it in nature? Do we make a distinction between cheating and “finding a loophole” or “bending the rules”? We will explore the history of cheating and its effect on business, sports, politics, technology, relationships and society. How can we maintain a culture of honor and integrity?

Week Eight — Aug. 12–18

Radicalism

Individuals and movements that at the time were considered radical have shaped the course of history. This cuts across politics, religion, philosophy, arts, literature and technology. How does radical thinking drive progress, and how do we distinguish between beneficial and disruptive radicalism? How has radicalism changed in an age of anonymous online communication and breaking down physical barriers to reach like-minded people? Lectures this week will address how we define radicalism, examine its history at home and abroad and ask how the meaning of radicalism differs throughout the world.

Week Nine — Aug. 19–25

The Presidents Club

With the U.S. presidency a singular position that only those who have occupied the White House can understand, relationships between current and former presidents cross political boundaries. How do they relate to each other? Where are the boundaries? What role do families play in the presidency? In a week that takes its title from a new book by Time’s Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, we’ll examine historic relationships between the president and former presidents and their families.